The One With The King

VIRAT KOHLI

- King of Cricket

               The Game has a leader now.

               - Brian Lara

When a figure as domineering and important to world cricket as Brian Lara is states that the game has a leader now and that that leader is Virat Kohli, surely people would stop to take notice.

While it is indisputably true that Kohli is, statistically at least, the greatest batsman of the current generation and one of the greatest of all-time, can he be termed as the King of Cricket""and if so, what does that term mean and imply?

A king is an individual whose decisions sway the kingdom under his dominion and who can, unilaterally affect the state of the empire over which he lords. In such a way, should not the International Cricket Council and its president be termed as such?

Well, in an Utopian world, the cricket council would be unbiased towards all of its member bodies and thus be, in effect, an independent sovereign body- much like a king. However any follower of international cricket would know that though in the eyes of the ICC, all cricketing nations are equal, some nations are more equal than others due to a gross imbalance in revenues generated by the sport in these countries (Finally having a population in excess of one billion helps😂). This is particularly true of India and the BCCI (Board of Control For Cricket In India) which exerts an undue influence on the ICC. Moreover at present, the BCCI is in a state of strife with internal reforms and allegations of sexual harassment leveled against its senior members. Thus the BCCI itself is in a weak spot. All this compromise in administration has led to a scenario where Virat Kohli is the King of Indian cricket, and ultimately the face of cricket itself, and what he says is law. This scenario was clearly visible in the manner in which Anil Kumble was ousted from the position of head coach and replaced by Ravi Shastri- Kohli's man. 

The frantic fan following who worship the man - rivaled only by that of God himself - further cement Kohli's status as King and has established Virat Kohli as the face of world cricket. The man himself grows in stature by virtue of his performance on the field and thus it is plain to see that King Kohli is will not be dethroned anytime soon.As to whether this will provide a positive result or not, only time will tell.

Thus while Sachin was God, an apt title for one who put cricket on the world map, but let it grow on its own, Kohli is a King with all of cricket and its administration at his feet.